
2025 State of Distributor Profitability: Distributors’ Action Plan
By Al Bates
Are you leaving money on the table?
Missed opportunities for greater efficiencies, better pricing and the use of technology can quickly erode profitability.
In this report, Al Bates, who has been helping distributors grow profitability for decades, shares strategies and overlooked areas where distributors can maximize profitability.
You'll learn:
- Common profit leaks in distribution
- The impact a small change can have your bottom line
- Strategies to protect margins without sacrificing customer relationships
- How better working capital management can lower costs
- The power of data to make better decisions to boost profitability
- Where technology comes into the picture
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Dr. Al Bates
Founder & Principal
Distribution Performance Project
Thank you to our sponsors:



About the author:

Dr. Al Bates
Founder & Principal
Distribution Performance Project
Dr. Albert Bates is Principal of the Distribution Performance Project, a research and education entity focusing on distribution. He makes about 100 presentations each year on topics such as Improving the Bottom Line, Doing More with Less and Pricing for Profit. He also heads the firm’s investigation into profitability research for over 50 different trade associations. He has published widely in both the professional and trade press, including in the Harvard Business Review and the California Management Review. He has also authored eight books on financial planning for businesses.